The
Middle East grows more and more volatile each day. Israel emerged from a
contentious election, Hamas launched rockets against Israel and the Israeli army
responded with lethal force, President Trump ordered a carrier group
to the Persian Gulf, and Iran announced it would not comply with the nuclear
agreement that contained its capacity to make bombs. All of these events
happened in May, and the month is only half over.

The
latest agitation was a statement over the weekend by Democratic Representative Rashida
Tlaib of Michigan. "There is kind of a calming feeling I always tell
folks when I think of the Holocaust," she said before claiming that
Palestinians suffered "in the name of trying to create a safe haven for
Jews." This is a repugnantly tone deaf and woefully contorted version of
history. It is also a grave disservice to the vast majority of Republicans and
Democrats in Congress who profoundly disagree.

One
of us is a conservative Republican fundraiser and a Bush appointee, and the
other was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. While we
disagree on many issues, we are in complete and total agreement about continuing
support for the relationship with Israel, which is a vital tenet of United
States foreign policy in an increasingly unstable world. While we may have
disagreements with various facets of Israeli policy, now is not the time to
allow this critical alliance to erode.

Geopolitics
in and near the Middle East is as stable as a river rapid. Turkey was once a
dependable ally, but has turned against our interests and fundamental democratic
norms. Syria is increasingly becoming a platform for the Russian military. Iran
funds and supports terrorism in the region. As the Middle East has been evolving
through a multitude of leaders and movements from Pan Arabism to the Arab
Spring, the support that Israel has for the United States has remained
steadfast.

That
is not to say the relationship has always been in perfect harmony. There was the
clash over settlements in the 1990s between President George H.W. Bush and Prime
Minister Yitzhak Shamir that resulted in the United States placing billions of
dollars in loan guarantees on hold. The address by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu to Congress four years ago bypassed President Obama and rankled
many Democrats. The seeming drift from a two state solution further strains our
alliance.

Despite
these disagreements with some elements of Israeli policy, one ideal that has
remained paramount is that the alliance with Israel is vital to protecting
American interests. This is why we need to occasionally step back and remind
ourselves of the basics. A strong ally in the war on terror, intelligence
cooperation with Israel is unparalleled. The only democracy in the region,
Israel has an exemplary record of human rights that celebrates due process. Its
judicial system has investigated, prosecuted, and jailed its own leaders. While
Israel proudly identifies as a Jewish state, it is not a theocracy and the
Knesset remains a vibrant and often chaotic example of the diverse Israeli
parliamentary system. Arab party members, left wing supporters, and right wing
settlers all sit in the same Knesset chamber.

Israel
is torn by the same social upheaval as other nations, but remains a flourishing
democracy that promotes civil and religious liberties for all of its citizens.
Women have served in major leadership roles, including prime minister, foreign
minister, and Supreme Court chief, among other senior roles in government. While
its neighbors have actively persecuted and threatened death to its homosexual
citizens, Israel still remains the only LGBTQ friendly country in the Middle
East. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find a more LGBTQ friendly
environment than Tel Aviv, where the annual Gay Pride Parade rivals that of
Dupont Circle or New York City.

Presidents
and prime ministers come and go. Disagreements flare and subside. But today,
global affairs spin with centrifugal force, uprooting long established norms and
assumptions. Certain things must center us. The alliance between the United
States and Israel is one. On this issue, there is no disagreement between this
Republican and this Democrat.